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Developing and executing applications with configurable patternsRelated Patent Categories: Data Processing: Software Development, Installation, And Management, Software Program Development Tool (e.g., Integrated Case Tool Or Stand-alone Development Tool), Code GenerationDeveloping and executing applications with configurable patterns description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20050257190, Developing and executing applications with configurable patterns. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND [0001] The present invention relates to data processing by a computing device, and more particularly to application programming and execution. [0002] A user interface (UI) facilitates interaction between humans and computers by inviting and responding to user input. User interfaces come in many varieties, and are designed to work in concert with application programs. Application programs, sometimes referred to simply as applications, are programs that an end-user runs to accomplish certain tasks. Applications typically work in conjunction with one or more back-end systems, which store the data to be worked on (e.g., business objects and other business data), as well as logic for manipulating the data (e.g., transactions or other business logic). Examples of back-end systems include database systems, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, and customer relationship management (CRM) systems. [0003] A common scenario involving user interfaces is a network application, where a network connects an application program running on a server and one or more user interfaces displayed in client programs running on client devices. The client/server relationship is one in which a server provides services to the client devices. Both the client devices and the server typically have a network interface for accessing networks such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or the Internet. [0004] In a network environment, a common client device is a personal computer, and a common client program is a Web browser. The client program, which displays a user interface for an application running on a server, enables networked communication between the client device and the server using a data transfer protocol, e.g., the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), to exchange files, images, programs, or application data. HTTP is a request/response-type protocol that specifies how the client device and the server communicate with each other. The server may receive a request from the client device using HTTP, respond to the request, and then close the connection. HTTP is a stateless protocol, meaning that each time a client device requests a Web page, the server will respond to the request independently of any previous requests from the client device, and without recording the request. [0005] The information transmitted from the server and intended for display in the client program on the client device may be marked up with Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) code or Extensible Markup Language (XML) code. HTML is a language that is used to describe the structure of a document, such as a Web page. Client programs interpret HTML code to determine how to display the information contained in the page. A user may request a Web page from a server by clicking on a hyperlink or specifying a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) string. A URL can be used to identify the address of a file or Web page that may be accessed on a network. The address identifies the Web server on which the file is stored and the directory in which the file is located. When the server receiving the URL request finds the sought Web page, the server sends the page to the client device so that the client device can use that Web page, for example, by generating a display for a user according to the Web page. [0006] An application usually implements the functionality required to display and execute one or more user interfaces for the application. For this reason, an application is sometimes referred to as a user interface application. In some cases, part of the user interface functionality (e.g., rendering) may be handled by a client program that interacts with the application. Whether or not this can occur depends on the capabilities of the client program. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] The present invention provides methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing techniques for developing user interface applications using configurable patterns, including both predefined patterns and custom patterns, and for executing such pattern-based applications. [0008] In one general aspect, the techniques feature establishing a plurality of predefined patterns and establishing a plurality of custom patterns, where each custom pattern is interchangable with any predefined pattern whose associated pattern component implements the same component interface as the component interface implemented by the pattern component associated with the custom pattern. The predefined patterns include a predefined arrangement of user interface elements and specifies predefined actions that can be performed using the user interface elements. Each predefined pattern has an associated configuration application and an associated pattern component, the associated pattern component implementing a component interface. [0009] The custom patterns include a predefined arrangement of user interface elements, and each custom pattern has an associated configuration application and an associated pattern component. The associated pattern component implements a component interface. [0010] Implementations of the invention can include one or more of the following features. [0011] The techniques further include establishing an integreated development environment (IDE) for developing applications based on a programming model. Each pattern component associated with a predefined pattern and each pattern component associated with a custom pattern conforms to the programming model. [0012] Examples of IDEs that can be used to develop patterns include IDEs that are built using the open Eclipse Platform supported by the Eclipse Foundation (e.g., the Web Dynpro IDE developed by SAP, or the WebSphere Studio IDE developed by IBM Corp. of Armonk, N.Y.), as well as proprietary IDEs (e.g., the Visual Studio NET IDE developed by Microsoft Corp. of Redmond, Wash.). [0013] The techniques further include developing an application by executing the associated configuration application for at least one predefined pattern to produce configuration data for the predefined pattern, and executing the associated configuration application for at least one custom pattern to produce configuration data for the custom pattern. The configuration data for the predefined pattern specifies associations between one or more of the user interface elements in the predefined pattern and one or more first entities in a back-end system The configuration data for the custom pattern specifies associations between one or more of the user interface elements in the custom pattern and one or more second entites in the back-end system. [0014] The techniques further include storing the configuration data for the predefined pattern separately from the pattern component associated with the predefined pattern, and storing the configuration data for the custom pattern separately from the pattern component associated with the custom pattern. [0015] The techniques further include using the pattern component associated with the predefined pattern to read the configuration data for the predefined pattern and to modify one or more predefined application elements in the predefined pattern component based on the configuration data for the predefined pattern, and using the pattern component associated with the custom pattern to read the configuration data for the custom pattern and to modify one or more predefined application elements in the custom pattern component based on the configuration data for the custom pattern. [0016] The pattern component associated with each predefined pattern implements predefined funcationality, and the pattern component associated with each custom pattern implements custom functionality that is distinct from the predefined functionality. [0017] The predefined functionality includes generating a first data representation. The custom functionality includes generating a second data representation. [0018] In another aspect, the techniques include receiving an application pattern and developing an application based on the application pattern. The application pattern includes at least a first pattern and a second pattern, the first pattern having a first configuration application and a first pattern component. The first pattern component implements a first component interface. The second pattern includes a second configuration application and a second pattern component. The second pattern component implements a second component interface. The application is developed based on the application pattern by executing the first configuration application to produce configuration data for the first pattern, and executing a custom configuration application to produce configuration data for a custom pattern. The custom pattern includes a custom pattern component, the custom pattern component implementing the second component interface. [0019] Implementations of the invention can include one or more of the following features. [0020] The custom pattern is selected from a plurality of custom patterns, each custom pattern in the plurality of custom patterns having a custom pattern component that implements the second component interface. [0021] Retreiving a list of the plurality of custom patterns when the application pattern is received; displaying the list of the plurality of custom patterns; and receiving user input. The user imput indicates that the custom pattern is to be used in place of the second pattern. [0022] The techniques can be implemented to realize one or more of the following advantages. The custom application components provide the applications designer as well as the end user additional flexibility in designing a user interface application. Custom application components may be designed to display data in formats otherwise unavailable or unanticipated through the use of the standard application components. In one embodiment, for example, the standard application components may only allow for data to be displayed in a table or chart format, in which case a custom application component can be created to permit data to be displayed in a pie chart format. Continue reading about Developing and executing applications with configurable patterns... Full patent description for Developing and executing applications with configurable patterns Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Developing and executing applications with configurable patterns patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. 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